The United Filipinos for Peace and Advancement Newsletter

Last Sunday September 5, 2010, The United Filipinos for Peace and Advancement (UFPA) sponsored the 2nd Filipino-Japanese Bridge of Peace Friendship Ceremony at Kawasaki Tokyo spearheaded by Mr. Dante Negre. The theme of the event is “True Friendship: Bridge of Peace Between Hearts”. It was well attended by around 100 people both guests and staffs although short of expectations as compared to the crowd during the first launching of Friendship Ceremony last year. Nevertheless, the quality of guests and the presentation of speakers provided the greater impact and meaning of the said event.

The main speaker for the event who tackled the theme “True Friendship: Bridge of Peace Between Hearts” is Miss Kimberly Fradale, a Nationally Certified Social Studies teacher

with 15 years of experience both in Hawaii and here in Japan. Her mother is Japanese and her father is an American and grew up in Hawaii. She is at present working on her second certification and writing stories. Interestingly, in her speech, she coined the word “BRIDGE” with corresponding meaning as B-Broaden your Horizon. R- Respect Others. I- Include Others. D- Do good deeds. G- Giggle at yourself. E- Engage in Activities and for each letter she presented, she elaborated it with a short story that she wrote herself and challenged the participants to reflect upon the story how it was related to their lives and its relevance to their present and future life. The venue became a mini-workshop for the participants given a short time to mingle among themselves in between the speech for a short interval of time to discuss among themselves certain question or topic that the speaker toss upon them. It was overall an interesting and informative presentation worthy of consideration that the participants enjoyed in cultivating their acquaintance and friendship even for a short period of time. For some of Miss Fradale’s short stories, you might want to read it at this link below: http://www.fradale.net/La_Dolce_Vita/Musings.html

Mr. Jun Flores made the presentation of the UFPA organization and all its activities and highlighted the uniqueness of the organization as compared to the many groups existing within the Filipino community. He outlined the mission and vision of UFPA as a positive force to contribute to the wellbeing of the members and the general community as a whole through its varied activities from values seminars to peace service projects and family oriented programs. In his presentation, he gave justice to the meaning and significance of the Bridge of Peace Ceremony that has earned the interest and enthusiasm of the participants. The lecture was preceded by the Sisterhood Ceremony in which a Japanese sister was paired to a Filipina and both of them meet at the centerfold, embrace each other and exchange certificates of participation. It was all a symbolic gesture but we asked partners to pursue their new found friendship and nurture it through communication, dedication and commitment with each other. UFPA will find avenue in the future for these partners of peace to find their meaningful relationship blossom into maturity through different activities that will transcend their boundaries of a heart to heart relationships.

Mr. Dante Negre in his closing remarks challenged the participants to actively take part in different activities that could create positive effect to the society and boost our image not only as Filipinos but as international community with a collective responsibility to our adopted country. He iterated that this pet project of UFPA – The Bridge of Peace Ceremony will be an annual event that we hope to duplicate in the different cities in Japan. He then closed the program with a strong commitment and conviction to do more for the Filipino and the Japanese through UFPA.

The program was capped by songs and dance presentations from selected participants that made the whole program worth the day for all participants. All is well and end is well as partners of peace bid farewell to each other hoping that an exciting friendship that has germinated in the heart brought about by this Bridge of Peace Ceremony could maintain its momentum and witness the relationship to blossom in the season.

UFPA CREATES A NEW CHAPTER IN OSAKA

The able leadership of Central Regional minister Bro. Roy Carumba is making waves to a new frontline. Several months ago, our brothers and sisters in Osaka area under Bro. Jun Cabantac and the support of Sis. Mila Atin Inada organized a 1 Day Divine Principle Seminar for some Filipino friends. Bro. Roy Carumba was the main lecturer. The response from the participants was overwhelming that they requested the lecturer to give a monthly Divine Principle education to them to further their knowledge. Since then, bro. Roy Carumba and his team became a mainstay every first Sunday of the month in Osaka not only to give Sunday Service message to our brothers and sisters there but mainly to offer the Divine Principle education lecture to new guests. The efforts paid off as several of these guests signed up for membership and four (4) new members expressed desire to join the Blessing. Brothers and sisters who were responsible in inviting these guests found a new passion to witness and to take care of the spiritual lives of their new contacts that has filled a vacuum in their hearts after many years of being here in Japan being unable to do spiritual missions.

Bro. Roy Carumba in his last visit decided to organize the new officers of United Filipinos for Peace and Advancement (UFPA) from among the members and new guests to spearhead a new campaign of witnessing in Osaka. The new officers will have their Oath taking ceremony in October and will have their first service for peace project thereafter to create an impression on the public that a new dawn has come in Osaka for a new organization to proclaim the era of True Parents.

UFPA INTERFAITH THROUGH SERVICE FOR PEACE

On September 19, 2010, the United Filipinos for Peace and Advancement (UFPA) Suzuka Chapter, Mie Ken will join force with the Filipino Catholic Community and the Indonesian Catholic Community in Suzuka to do a Service project for Peace by cleaning the beachside that was part of a yearly campaign that the organization has undertaken since its existence. Not only is the organization building a strong image as Unificationist to other catholic members, but the mutual respect for each other’s faith and the ability to transcend the bounds of doctrinal beliefs has rallied the members to work together to promote peace through volunteer service in the community. This advocacy and proactive platforms has earned the respect of not only the Japanese community in Suzuka but also the City Mayor who awarded the organization a certicate of recognition for all its worthy contributions to the wellbeing of the community.

On September 26, UFPA Tsu Chapter will collaborate a Service for Peace Project with the Unification Church Japan to clean the central park in Tsu. How does all these cleaning projects relate to our life of faith? One member said, ”One simple gesture of good deeds at a time… these are the glitters in Kingdom building.”